A living donor and her grateful recipient at the 2015 Marsh Mad Dash for life.

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Living Donation

What is living donation?

In addition to deceased donor organ transplants, patients may also receive organs from living donors. Living donation offers an alternative for individuals awaiting transplantation from a deceased donor and increases the existing organ supply. Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ for transplantation to another person. Living donation usually involves a single kidney, a segment of the liver, the lobe of one lung, a portion of the pancreas or a portion of the intestine. The types of living donation offered in the state in of Louisiana at this time are kidney and partial liver donations.

What are the advantages of living donation over non-living donation?

Living donor transplants have many advantages:

• A living donor transplant may reduce your time on dialysis and/or years of waiting for a deceased donor organ.

• Some living donor transplants are done between family members who are genetically similar. A better genetic match lessens the risk of rejection.

For more information about the transplant centers and living donation programs in the state, please see the links below.